Legally Blonde

Review By: Carey Purcell
CareyPurcell@TheCinemaSource.com

Remember candy? The colored marshmallows in Lucky Charms, or the Peeps at Easter? Or – best of all – cotton candy from the circus? Those fluffy pink clouds of spun sugar sold on sticks seemed like an endless supply of sugar and sweetness. They were sweet, sticky, and – of course – pink. The Palace Theatre is serving up a large portion of the theatrical equivalent in the latest screen-to-stage Broadway production, Legally Blonde – The Musical.

Adapted from the hit 2001 movie starring Reese Witherspoon, it tells the story of Elle Woods, a perky sorority queen fashion merchandising major from California who, on the night she expects to be proposed to, is dumped by her boyfriend Warren for not being “serious” enough. Refusing to take no for an answer, Elle follows Warren to Harvard Law school, where she experiences academic, social and legal challenges and learns some valuable life lessons outside of the classroom.

Girl power and pride in oneself was the underlying theme of the movie and managed to translate well to the stage, thanks to an amusing book and some very clever song. Those hoping for a faithful interpretation of the movie will be surprised, as certain aspects of the plot have been altered to suit the stage. Some characters are fleshed out in greater detail, while others are tightened or even eliminated altogether. What results is a strong company of seriously likeable characters that support a heroine whom one can’t help but cheer for.

The show opens in Elle’s sorority home where she and her sisters sing the surprisingly powerful anthem, “Ohmigod You Guys,” as Elle prepares for what she thinks will be her engagement dinner. While the chorus is repetitive, it pokes humor at itself, conscious of the extremities it is setting to music and the cast does the same. As Elle, Laura Belle Bundy self-consciously satirizes herself, aided by her superbly strong vocals and physical acting skills.

While at Harvard, Elle befriends hairstylist Paulette (played with an admirable bravado by Orfeh), a lonely woman fresh from a bad relationship. Her friendship with Elle helps her boost her self-esteem and results in her learning the eye-catching move, the “bend and snap.” The musical number is one of the highlights of the second act, largely due to Orfeh’s performance, which seems to defy all limits of both energy and vocals.

Elle also befriends her professor’s aide Emmet (Christian Borle) who helps her with her studies and quickly develops a crush on the bubbly blonde. Borle, who was last seen in numerous comedic roles in Spamalot puts his ample charms and rich vocals to work both at the textbooks and romancing his classmate. Other standouts in the supporting cast include Michael Rupert as Professor Callahan, the poised Kate Schindle as Vivienne, and Andy Karl doubling as Paulette’s ex-boyfriend and the studly UPS man that she lusts for. His brief walk across the stage inspires her to utter the incredibly ...